In this year’s edition we took our inspiration from two Belgian styles: Saisons and Golden Triples. As such, the Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic has a deep, deep golden hue and the flavor is spicy, fruity, complex and refreshing. We used four different malts, and a subtle, yet distinct, blend of Glacier and Crystal hops to get just the right balance. Then, for the complexity, we added in some exotic spices --- including ginger, cardamom, grapefruit peel, lemon peel and orange peel (the latter three acknowledging our Southern California home) --- and a special Belgian yeast strain. All in all this is yet another case of us drawing from classic Belgian influences and cavalierly making it our own...San Diego style!

This brew was served on draft at the Tap and Mallet Vertical Epic tasting event. It arrived in a tasting glass, showing a golden honey coloring. No head was present, and only specks of white lacing were left around the glass. There was a faint haze to it, with light sediment. Carbonation appeared light. The aroma gave lemony hops, cardamom, ginger, and stark wheatiness, much like your robust wit. With warmth came deeper caramel malts, syrupy honeys, fig and apple fruitiness, nutmeg and light gingerbread spice, and raw rootiness alongside that original ginger bang. Our first impression was that there was excellent, robust flavoring, but it was kept very light and drinkable throughout. As we sipped, all of the aromatics and florals from the nose hit first, against a backdrop of lightly toasted pale and caramel malts. It tasted like a blooming Spring garden. Citrus hit to the peak, with pale malts, grassy lightness, and a light phenolic flash. The finish came with soured pseudo-oak, flashes of citric hops, apple sugars, and the fusel fire of booze. The aftertaste breathed of chalky dryness, toasty pale malts, crushed cherry sugars, earthy dirtiness, mineral, and the warming woodiness from a depth of malts. The body was lighter but airy, while the carbonation felt light to medium. There was decent slurp, smack, cream, and froth. Initially the mouth was coated with light oils, but this crisply dried with chalky astringency. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, the best thing about this beer was the flavoring. Each element danced and skirted around the tongue airlessly, as if on little ballet slippers, but without first executing a full breadth of floral earthiness and nectary sweetness. The nose and the feel carried much in this same vein, keeping things light and super drinkable. All of the advertised flavors and aromatics were there in full, and this guy is a real treat for anyone who can find it. (1,952 characters)

Even if you wanted to, you couldn't pour this without getting at least an inch-thick of fluffy whiteness. The head is very Belgian in that its made of a zillion impossibly small bubbles and stays put for the duration, coating the sides of the glass with each tilt and return. Color is rusty autumn orange.

Smell is exotic spices, ones I can't name, plus heavy ginger and anise, also a little bit of nutmeg. There's a good yeast presence, and the malts seem to have produced a predominantly sweet backbone.

Aromas detected come out assertively on the tongue, with a hint of cinnamon in there as well. Grapefruit adds a little twang/tang in the background. Basically you're getting a complex melange of exotic spice and fresh citrus fruit basket. A hint of yeast comes through, especially with warming, and the alcohol makes for even more boisterous behavior on the tongue. While it's incredibly complex, it somehow leans a little to one side, without having a strong malty base to add balance. Malts are like raw sugar-cookie dough, but could've been pushed up a little further. It certainly is delicious enough without having any major problems. I even dig the alcohol heat, seems to work for the flavors that are present. A blindfold taste-test would probably have most Belgian aficionados swearing this was from the Beer Paradise itself. Kudos.

The mouthfeel is outstanding, with a clean, buttery lightness, a great creamy roundness, and just a touch of carbonation which amplifies the spicier elements.

I love Saisons and I love Tripels...this is a hybrid of the two. And it's Stone. How could it fail? It's not your typical Stone ale, but what is a typical Stone ale but something atypical in the first place? This is worthy of the brewer's reputation, and a worthy addition to the "Vertical Epic" series. The only reason I wouldn't rate drinkability even higher is because all that citrus/spice just sticks with you and sticks with you, almost to the point of overload. Kudos again, Stoners... (2,003 characters)

Complex on the tongue -- more spices, more sugar, more yeast, more sour, and tangy alcohol in a tart, clean, potent brew. Deliciously balanced, with a nice crisp kick of hops and some alcoholic warmth as well as some astringency and tartness.

Poured from 1pt. 6oz. bottle into a Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Tulip glass.

The color is cloudy orange/amber with two and half fingers of foamy white head and some slight lacing.

The smell is a good Belgian type aroma, something like a triple would be. It also has a nice spicy aroma that smells a bit like fruit flavored candy like sweet tarts.

The taste has a nice citrus kick at first with some nice Saison spice flavor. There is a nice grainy flavor that is keeping the flavor well formed.

The texture of this beer is pretty interesting and seems to lay on your tongue for just the right amount of time. It is smooth and very well balanced. This beer goes down well and is refreshing with a slight bite. (710 characters)

Pours a golden amber color with a below average head for Belgian standards. After a few moments the beer looks flat. The smell is fantastic, hits the tripel smell on the head. The aroma is medicinal, spiced with corriander, honey notes, candi sugar, everything that makes up the Belgian funk smell. The taste is of honey malt, corriander, medicinal, candi sugar, it finishes with a light hop taste and granny smith apple tartness. Has a nice earthy quality. The feel is light almost watery, lightly carbonated which is nice to see in this style. Perhaps the best American version of a Belgian beer sans the appearance. Great smell and great taste. Hit the good Beligan style right on. (684 characters)

Served on tap into a tulip glass at American Flatbread in Burlington, VT during the "Stone Extravaganza."

Pours a clear orangish gold color with a 1/2 finger white head that dissipates quickly, leaving no lacing. Great mix of aromas lead by ginger and sweet citrus with spice, fruity yeast and alcohol. Up front ginger flavor, not too much but definately ginger, then a mix of banana, clove, pepper, vanilla, sweet orange and an alcohol warmth. Medium carbonation, medium body, a very dry beer. All your taste buds are awakened with this beer. Incredible flavors! If you see this being poured at any festival or can find a bottle, definitely a must try! (655 characters)

Pours a nice hazy golden orange color, nice carbonation, nice small one-finger creamy off-white head, which leaves some very nice small islands and sticky lacing. The nose is malty, spicy, nutmeg, some nice yeast notes, and caramel. The taste is slightly sweet at first, some malts/yeast, lots of spices, nutmeg, and some caramel tones. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a tasty brew, and much better than the first time I had it.

Pours a nice clean/clear golden orange color, nice carbonation, nice small one-finger creamy off-white head, which leaves some very nice sticky lacing. The nose is malty, spicy, nutmeg, some yeasty, and caramel. The taste is slightly sweet at first, some malty/yeast, lots of spices, nutmeg, and some caramel tones. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a tasty brew, but could live without it. (853 characters)

Yeast-flecked apricot with much less carbonation than a Belgian-style ale ought to have. The attractive three finger slice of pale orange-ivory foam doesn't seem to care. It melts in appealing fashion and is doing a better than adequate job with glass coverage.

I like knowing the recipes of the Vertical Epics (thanks Greg), but it does take some of the fun out of trying to guess the ingredients during the reviewing process. Ground ginger is obvious and I might have been able to identify the warm muskiness of cardamom. The grapefruit, orange and lemon peel is lost in the shuffle, as are the hops. This isn't the aroma of a classic BSPA/tripel/saison, but it's very nice all the same.

I like what the brewery has done with 07.07.07. A strong golden ale that uses Belgian yeast and/or added spices is right up my alley. An early impression is that the balance among sweet, bitter and spicy is close to ideal. Another is that this big brew has aged very well so far. Still five years to go, though.

The flavor profile is deliciously golden fruity and is reminiscent of perfectly spiced apples and pears. As in the nose, citrus fruit peel is overpowered by the strong personalities of ginger and cardamom. There might even be a little ground clove from the Belgian yeast. The 'saison-tripel hybrid' impression of the brewers sounds about right.

Almost no alcohol finds its way to the taste buds. A gentle warming on the journey down the esophagus is the only indication of its presence. Warming doesn't change much, it simply intensifies the already enjoyable potpourri of flavors. What the hell... as the bottom third of the bomber approaches, I can see no reason why the flavor score shouldn't be bumped.

A Belgianesque body/mouthfeel would have been absolutely killer. Since so few American brewers can pull it off, no points have been deducted. The beer is medium in heft, with a supple, light viscosity that is probably due to the candi sugar. A few more volumizing bubbles would have been great.

For my money, Stone Vertical Epic 07.07.07 comes in third place behind the excellent BSDAs 05.05.05 and 0.6.06.06. It's excellent, gulpable beer because the spices were well-chosen and because they were added in just the right proportions. I'd love to see something like this get a new name and a year-round release. Bring on 08.08.08. (2,346 characters)

Had this on tap for the VE tasting (beers 07.07.07-12.12.12) at Pacific Coast Brewing Co. during SF Beer Week. All reviews are from my notes. I liked this enough that I got it in an 8oz flute glass after the first tasting.

Pours a pale amber, perhaps even bronze-like color with literally no carbonation or bubbles to speak of. There was a slight ring upon it as it arrived, but that quickly vanished and left this behind. Not sure at all how this looked fresh, let alone on tap (2007?? I wasn't even into beer then!), yet I'm certain it must have modified over time to appear more hazed and darker. Very viscous liquid, almost to the point of appearing syrupy. Indeed, it looks a lot more like brandy than actual beer at this point. Definitely has held up well after nearly 6 years, with or without bubbles.

At the nose, there definitely is a spiced aroma as advertised, although it's huge on the grapefruit/citrus peel department. Explosive, in fact, to the point where the alcohol and candied sugar has pretty melded together to create a flavor that smells a lot like grapefruit/lemon hard candy. There's a lot of underlying lemon peel as well, which sets a zesty, grassy aroma all around. Other notes I picked up included woodiness, truffles, and wild yeast, to the point of being tarty.

The flavor consists of more dried yet sweetened candied grapefruit peel flavors, combined with big yeasty honey notes. Vetted green apple cider aromas meld with the grapefruit to create an interesting sensation, and the yeast and faded malts make it similar to a nicely spiced saison. However, with age, the sour astringency seems to have really faded with the yeast holding the fort between the zest and the spices. It's far tartier on the tongue than at the nose here, yet it seems to really work with all of the citrus peel flavors and candied sugar finish that this is offering. Aside from being thick, it's still crisp and bright, and contains a near succulent flavor overall.

At this point of aging, this is pretty much unclassifiable. Is it a saison/tripel hybrid? A citrus/candy sugar Belgian pale ale? Hard to say, but I do think that aging has done very nice things to this beer. I wish I could go back in time and buy a few bottles of this, as this VE worked pretty favorably with me. Not all are winners, but this one definitely has its notable characteristics, especially for fans of tripels, cider, and citrus focused drinks. (2,435 characters)

Pours out a golden reddish amber with two fingers of white suds.
Smell is banana and clove and cinnamon and dried figs.Just a fantastic smell here.
Taste is licorice/anise with a caramel sweetness and the alcohol warmth. A fruity aftertaste with orange and cherry and mabey bubblegum?
This is better than everybody is saying it is. This has so damn much potential.
Mouthfeel is like eating a banana. You have the sweet stickyness without having a peel to throw away.
This one isn't good yet, but by 2010 it should be so darn kick ass.
I hope I can get a case of this. (573 characters)

Appearance: Poured into a Duvel sniffter; a beautiful coppery amber that is crystal clear with the tiniest most delicate little bubbles slowing floating to the top. Three finger thick white head that has little retention but excellent lacing.

Smell: Sweet gingery, peppery and citrusy yeast. The ginger has devloped in the year it's aged, almost burning the back of my nose. The sweet sugared coating on this really balances it.

Mouthfeel: Very light and bubbly in the mouth. The spice is on the back of the tongue but is mainly a champagne feel.

A - Pours a golden tinted orange color again with good clarity but marred slightly by the fine suspended particles. A small white head forms briefly and manages to leave behind some traces of lacing on the glass.

S - Sweet oranges stick out immediately in the aroma with some lemons coming thru also. A bit phenolic and alcoholic on the aroma with some spices. Gives a sweet and fruity overall impression.

T - Soft and smooth flavors of sweet oranges...a bit boozy with some peppery spiciness. To me this is what Grand Marnier would be if it was a beer.

M - Syrupy, sweet, citrusy, medium body with low carbonation.

O - Super citrusy - seriously, this really made me think of a slightly thinned out shot of Grand Marnier...which I happen to like, so this beer worked out rather well for me too. (846 characters)

Appearance - Deep orange, slightly cloudy, with a head that disipates quickly.

Smell - Fruity, spicy, and malty. Almost bready in its smell, there's a distinct hint of

Taste - Citrus, spice, with a little bit of maltiness. A certain biscuitty funk is picked up, but not as much as some Belgian strong ales. Clove and ginger seem to be the most dominant notes in the taste, but not overwhelming.

As it warms, notes of apple and clove become very apparent.

Mouthfeel - Crisp finish on a medium body, with a warming alcohol note to it. As the beer warms, the finish smooths out tremendously.

Drinkability - Very drinkable, despite the high alcohol content. Should age well. (720 characters)

Sampled from a 22oz bomber. The painted label gives an in-depth description of the ingredients. Oddly, no stream-of-consciousness ramblings from Greg on this one.

This VE is a striking, rich, golden-hued bier. There's some fine particulate suspended within, watching the steady stream of carbo shoot topside. Head was initially a good 1.5", then ebbed back to about 1/4". It is off-white and quite creamy, almost mousse-like, and leaves top-shelf lacework behind. Aroma has a lot going on. There's some candy-ish action; some spiciness; a bit of light fruit, like orange peel; and mild ginger. Interesting. Medium bodied, though a bit airy and bubbly on the tongue. Still, a decent mouthfeel.

As with the nose, the flavor is an interesting melange of different offerings. It has a little light, crackery malt sweetness to start. Ginger is more noticeable here than in the aroma. Very Tripel-ish, with some tropical fruitage and spicy action holding court. Quite dry overall, and 7-7-7 possesses a subtle saison-ish earthiness. Hopping is lightly present in the background, appropriate for the style. The more I drink, the more apparent the ginger and the rindy character from the peels become. I feel a distinct warming in the belly, the 8.40% abv doing its work (well, I might add!). There is a considerable amount of yeasty residue in the bottom of the bottle; a hard swirl and addition to the goblet gives the bier a foggy, orange glow (as well as a bit more of a spicy bite).

All-in-all, I like this one. If it were a regular, year-round bier, it might be my go-to Tripel. Zum Wohl!!

A wonderful choice for the hot summer evening after work sitting by the pool when I enjoyed mine. Poured a very attractive deep golden color into my glass with a small head that thinned quickly to a light film on the top. I wasn't blown away by the aroma, but the taste was delightful. Lots of spice right off the top, but a well balanced finish. Little to no lacing left behind in the glass. Felt wonderfully smooth in my mouth and really was a great way to finish this very hot summer day. I'm not sure how this beer really conforms to the styles it claims to be inspired by, but I enjoyed this beer very much and I will be anxious to see how the others I bought age over time  provided I can keep from drinking them. (721 characters)

This beer pours a dark golden almost amber color with a kaki head that dissipates pretty quickly but that is expected with the time on this beer.It smells of citrus zest and ginger but has a lot of complexity to it.The taste is even more complex with the zest, som earthiness in the background and a ginger bread like flavor.The mouthfeel is sweet and dry.This beer is really rich which takes a lot away from the drinkability. (430 characters)

22 oz bottle, allowed to warm just a little bit before being poured into my Bruery tulip.

Stone's 07.07.07 Vertical Epic pours a mildly hazy burnt copper, surprisingly dark, with three fingers of frothy white foam filling out the top of the glass. Head retention is decent, but lacing is very spotty. The aroma is a very nice blend of citrus (with not one among the orange, lemon, and grapefruit peel dominating the others) and the ginger and cardamom. The flavor profile carries over those characteristics, and adds more to present a fantastically layered beer. Some brief, peach centric, stone fruit sweetness leads things off, followed by the ginger and cardamom (with the latter probably just a hair more intense than the former). The same complex citrus profile comes through next. If I think "lemon", "orange", or "grapefruit", that seems to be the dominant player, but the reality is they all have an equal say in the matter. A subtle black pepper flourish completes the picture. The body is just a little bit too chewy and substantantial, but it is paired with a great, lively carbonation. The 2007 offering in the Vertical Epic series is one of my favorite Stone brews, I'm actually bottling a homebrew clone of this as I drink it. A tripel that's held up phenomenally over five years. (1,295 characters)

Smells quite aromatic. Some hops, some spice. Nothing distinguishable. Taste is weird at first, but after a few sips, it becomes very palatable. Nice bitterness. Good hoppy taste with light citrus and ginger. Really great beer.

Has a really nice body and nice mouth feel. Very drinkable, but it definitely not a chugger. Sip like fine wine.

I plan on purchasing more of these as it is quite worthy. Very recommended. (536 characters)

Oh man, this was good. Had this in their 22 oz bottle and man was this good. A great murky amber appearance a thin to medium head. Very well carbonated, I can hear the fizzing. The smell alluring: thick fruity malt aromas with big hints of spice and sugars. The taste had a wicked good, smooth aftertaste. Pretty sweet and dragged out flavors. A fizzing carbonation, like previously mentioned, helped make this pretty refreshing but please enjoy this beer without a meal; it should be enjoyed all on its own. Very nice. (519 characters)

Poured into my snifter. This beer is a slightly cloudy medium golden/deep orange/copper color. Very nice color. The head is about an inch thick when poured. It settles to a quite thin surface layer about 10 minutes after pouring. Nice white ring lining the inside of the glass though. Good lacing. Aroma wise sweet spice galore and malt are certainly present as well as some banana. Sort of a fruity and floral aroma too. Very malty and sweet upfront tastewise. Spices such as clove and ginger are present among others. The taste is rounded out by some fruit and hop notes. Orange and lemon are certainly present along with a hint of banana. This beer has a dry, spicy and biting aftertaste. Has a very crisp, bubbly mouthfeel with a full body and moderate to heavy carbonation. easy to drink in the manner that great beer should be. It took me well over an hour an half to finish a bomber of this stuff. Overall this beer is certainly different from any other Belgian style Strong Pale Ale I have ever had before. A lot about this beer reminded me of Stone's Barley Wine, which I like a lot. Another winner from Stone!

D - it's very good tasting and goes down smooth, a nice drinkable treat for most beer lovers.

Final Note: I'm a little curious as to how this brew will age, but already knowing how good it is now would make it difficult for me to cellar it for any length of time, much less 5 years!
My local beer store just got a few cases of this beer in stock. I will definitely pick up 3 or 4 more of these and try to hang on to at least 1 until the 08.08.08 Vertical Epic is released. (960 characters)

To start this is one of the first beers ive been able to try that was above 6% alcohol other than stones arrogant bastard ale which i was not able to fully enjoy because i had already had too much to drink that particular night...anyways this beer is a slightly hazy orange. sort of fruity tasting but for the high alcohol content its well masked and very very smooth.. this is my first beer review as well and this is a very complex beer to try and explain for my first try but i definately recommend it if you come across a bottle! (533 characters)

Kind of sweet with dark fruit flavors and a pleasant lingering aftertaste. Some yeast traces in the nose as well as the taste. Impressive neverending head and sticky lacing. Lots of carbonation in appearance, but not so much in the taste thankfully. Nice clear amber hue. Semi-chewy mouthfeel. Touch of grapes in the nose as well as the flavor.

Probably the best take I've had so far on an American version of this style. I'm not sure how much different this would have tasted fresh, but it seems that a couple of years has done some good to this. I would seek this out again. The fruit definitely outweighs the yeasty taste, which leaves a good impression. For $6.50, I feel that I got a great deal on this beer. (714 characters)

As a stone whore myself, i saw this in my local bottle shop and figured eh what the hell ill pick up a few. Im glad i did as a frequent ris and dipa drinker this was a nice lighter change without being flavorless. Nice fruity taste but not in an offensive way and its hard to pinpoint what it is. Not stones typical offering's but its a very good solid beer and im looking forward to trying the rest of the line. (412 characters)